Preface

I have been lucky enough during my career to have worked as a developer, a consultant, and for many years as a WebSphere Application Server (WAS) administrator. I have also held senior architecture roles. One thing I have learned is that it is difficult for one person to know everything about a complex product such as WAS 8. More often than not, we find ourselves struggling to find the right amount of time and patience, to learn all the intricacies of a new product.

WAS has now become a highly in-depth product, as has JEE (Java Enterprise Edition, formerly known as J2EE) on which WebSphere 8 is based. During this foray into WebSphere Application Server 8, I have kept in mind that some readers are new to WAS and require an overview which gives them a complete view of what the product entails, while others are seasoned and are looking for insights that are not so easily understood, or available through IBM's standard documentation.

It is a challenge for any author to provide detail and at the same time convey and allow for simple understanding. I believe that throughout this book you will be able to read and understand the topics presented with minimal effort. As you try the exercises and examples, you will gain more in-depth understanding and experience to support your administration of WebSphere Application Server 8.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, WebSphere Application Server 8 Product Overview covers the new capabilities of WebSphere and provides an overview of the underlying WAS architecture and how it relates to JEE 6. Explanations of important WAS concepts and terminology are also covered.

Chapter 2, Installing WebSphere Application Server covers how to plan and prepare your WAS installation, and shows how to manually install WebSphere using the graphical installer, and how to use a response file for automated silent installation. The fundamentals of application server profiles are described and the administrative console is introduced. In this chapter we also introduce the IBM Installation Manager which is new to WAS 8 and facilitates the management of WAS installations.

Chapter 3, Deploying your Applications explains the make-up of Enterprise Archive (EAR) files, how to manually deploy applications, and how the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) is used in the configuration of resources. Connecting to databases is explained via the configuration of Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) drivers and data sources used in the deployment of data-aware applications. This chapter also covers how to use managed deployments, a new feature of WebSphere 8 that allows applications to be deployed using monitored folders.

Chapter 4, Security demonstrates the implementation of global security and how to federate Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and file-based registries for managing WAS security. Roles are explained, where users and groups can be assigned different administrative capabilities. Security domains and SSL configurations are also explained.

Chapter 5, Administrative Scripting introduces ws_ant, a utility for using Apache Ant build scripts to deploy and configure applications. Advanced administrative scripting is demonstrated by using the wsadmin tool with Jython scripts, covering how WAS configuration and application deployments can be automated using the extensive WAS Jython scripting objects.

Chapter 6, Server Configuration explains the WAS installation structure and key XML files, which make up the underlying WAS configuration repository. Logging is covered showing the types of log files and log settings which are vital for administration. Also included in this chapter is the new feature of WAS 8, known as High Performance Extensible Logging (HPEL), which provides an efficient binary file approach to logging. Application server Java Virtual Machine JVM settings and class loading are also explained.

Chapter 7, WebSphere Messaging explains basic Java Message Service (JMS) messaging concepts, and demonstrates both JMS messaging using the default messaging provider and WebSphere Message Queuing (MQ) along with explanations of message types. Use of Queue Connection Factories, Queues, and Queue Destinations are demonstrated via a sample application. MQ Link is explained, demonstrating how to connect WAS to foreign WebSphere MQ networks. The new WAS 8 feature of disabling WebSphere MQ process is also covered in this chapter.

Chapter 8, Monitoring and Tuning shows how to use Tivoli Performance Monitor (TPV), request metrics, and JVM tuning settings to help you improve WAS performance and monitor the running state of your deployed applications. Analysis of Java heap and core dumps is also explained.

Chapter 9, Administrative Features covers how to enable the administrative agent for administering multiple application servers with a central administrative console. The IBM HTTP Server and the WebSphere plug-in are explained along with how to implement SSL between the IBM HTTP Server, the WebSphere plug-in and the WebSphere Application Server.

Chapter 10, Administration Tools demonstrates some of the command line utilities vital to the WebSphere administrator for debugging and problem resolution. Also in the chapter the IBM Support Assistant (ISA) is introduced and an example given on how to analyze WAS log files, using one of the many ISA add-ons.

Chapter 11, Product Maintenance shows how to maintain your WebSphere Application Server by keeping it up-to-date with the latest fix packs and feature packs. Locating the fix pack on IBM's web and the process of how to download the latest fix packs is covered. Backing up WebSphere configurations is also explained.

What you need for this book

Below is a list of the software applications used in this book:

• Your preferred operating system choice of either an IBM supported version of Windows or Linux. Note: For Linux users it is recommended that you use a supported Linux OS such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.6; however it is possible to use Centos 5.6.

• You will need your favorite text editor for editing scripts.

• For shell access from Windows to Linux you will need an SSH client such as PuTTY.

• For Linux based GUI installs, you will need an X11 server running. If you are connecting from Windows to Linux you can use a Windows X11 server such as Xming.

• WebSphere Application Server 8 Trial.

• WebSphere MQ 7 Trial.

• IBM Installation Manager.

• IBM Support Assistant.

Sample applications and scripts are also required.

Visit http://www.packtpub.com/files/code/3892_Code.zip to directly download the example code.

Who this book is for

If you are a system administrator or an IT professional who wants to learn about IBM WebSphere Application Server v8.0, this book will walk you through the key aspects of installation and administration of a WAS environment. You do not need any previous experience in WebSphere Application Server, but some understanding of Java Enterprise Edition (JEE) technologies will be helpful. In addition, JEE application developers and architects who want to understand how WebSphere manages JEE applications will find this book useful.

Conventions

In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning.

Code words in text are shown as follows: "Login to the DefaultApplication using the username waslocal and the password waslocal, and the snoop servlet will load".

A block of code is set as follows:

#Uninstall the application
deployEAR="<deploy_home>/HRListerEAR.ear"
appName="HRListerEAR"
AdminApp.uninstall(appName);
#save
AdminConfig.save();

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

AdminTask.extractConfigProperties('[-propertiesFileName c:\temp\hrLister.props -configData Application=HRlisterEAr]')

New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "To access the repository table, click File | Preferences... | Repositories".

Note

Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.

Tip

Tips and tricks appear like this.

Reader feedback

Feedback from our readers is always welcome. Let us know what you think about this book—what you liked or may have disliked. Reader feedback is important for us to develop titles that you really get the most out of.

To send us general feedback, simply send an e-mail to <[e-mail]>, and mention the book title via the subject of your message.

If there is a book that you need and would like to see us publish, please send us a note in the SUGGEST A TITLE form on www.packtpub.com or e-mail <[e-mail]>.

If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or contributing to a book, see our author guide on www.packtpub.com/authors.

Customer support

Now that you are the proud owner of a Packt book, we have a number of things to help you to get the most from your purchase.

Downloading the example code

You can download the example code files for all Packt books you have purchased from your account at http://www.PacktPub.com. If you purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit http://www.PacktPub.com/support and register to have the files e-mailed directly to you.

Errata

Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you find a mistake in one of our books—maybe a mistake in the text or the code—we would be grateful if you would report this to us. By doing so, you can save other readers from frustration and help us improve subsequent versions of this book. If you find any errata, please report them by visiting http://www.packtpub.com/support, selecting your book, clicking on the errata submission form link, and entering the details of your errata. Once your errata are verified, your submission will be accepted and the errata will be uploaded on our website, or added to any list of existing errata, under the Errata section of that title. Any existing errata can be viewed by selecting your title from http://www.packtpub.com/support.

Piracy

Piracy of copyright material on the Internet is an ongoing problem across all media. At Packt, we take the protection of our copyright and licenses very seriously. If you come across any illegal copies of our works, in any form, on the Internet, please provide us with the location address or website name immediately so that we can pursue a remedy.

Please contact us at <[e-mail]> with a link to the suspected pirated material.

We appreciate your help in protecting our authors, and our ability to bring you valuable content.

Questions

You can contact us at <[e-mail]> if you are having a problem with any aspect of the book, and we will do our best to address it.